True Image has let me down big time - Help.

I have TI 10. My desktop PC (dual boot) contained two copies op XP on seperate partions. Main XP copy was misbehaving so thought I would restore a TI archive of the HDD. In doing so it TI suggested I format the HDD prior to restoring. So I let it do this only to find the subsequent restore failed due to the archive being corrupt. TI reports all 4 differential backups to be corrupt So now I have a formated HDD with neither copy of XP working all because this blasted program suggested a format. I store my TI archives on a NAS box so I still have them. Seems they are useless though.
Is there anything I can do?
-Restore files instead of drives perhaps to get the majority back, then reload windows?
-Can I undo the Format to get at the old partitions beneath, or will my several attempts to restore with TI have precluded this option?
-Is there any repair utility for these files?
Whilst I know now I should have verified the images, I am pretty dissapointed that TI10 has let me keep recording 4 differential backups over a period of time that are all corrupted.
Thnx

I am not clear what you actually did as regards formatting could you clarify what was actually done.

From what I have read it should only have been necessary to restore the partition with the problems and not to touch the rest of the HDD.

I recently came across this recovery program. It is still in Beta and I have not yet had to use it so I put it forward as a possible tool to help to get things back to normal. It comes from the same source as the popular and effective CCCleaner.http://www.recuva.com/

With regards to formatting I merely followed the True Image Restore instructions. I set it to restore a single ".tib" file. The Tib file contained an image of a single HDD. Two partions and a boot sector with a check box for each. Checked all three and proceeeded to restore. It suggested I format target drive to make way for restore. So I accepted and as part of TIs recovery process it formatted the HDD removing everything. Then towards the end of the restore process I get a TI error message to say recovery failed with corrupted tib file. So I I m left with NADA. Other than my 85GB worth of tib files.

-Is there any repair utility for these files?
Whilst I know now I should have verified the images, I am pretty dissapointed that TI10 has let me keep recording 4 differential backups over a period of time that are all corrupted.
Thnx

Click to expand...

Even if you verified and it passed that is still no guarantee that the restore will be good, as other users have found out too late. The only way to be sure a backup image is good is to restore it to a spare drive.

But before you give up on that Image, try whichever of these you haven't done:
1. Boot with the bootable True Image Rescue CD and use Safe Mode to do the Recovery.
2. As above but use Full Mode.
3. Copy the Backup file to another drive and do #1 and #2 above.

Unfortunately I have tried all above to no avail. I was actaully able to recover the boot sector and the smaller of the two XP partition images from withing the *.tib file. However the much larger 80GB partition within the same *.tib archive continaing my iTunes music library is continually reporting errors. Tried placing the *.tib files on a a second HDD on the destination PC instead of on the NAS box. No change.
So now I am tying to recover what I can by using the "restore selected files option" instead of restore image. TI reports that this will take 12hours to complete and at the end there is a good change the copy of XP in this partition still wont boot up anyway. At least if XP recovery recognises it as an install it might repair it, but I reckon my chances are poor. As the approx 80,000 files are getting recovered TI safe mode keeps reporting Error in particular files and I have to hit Ignore for it to continue, otherwise it stalls. In future updates Acronis, PLEASE consider an Ignore ALL option so I do not have to sit near my PC clicking the mouse for 12 hours.
Is there any tool that can be run over a damage *.tif file to extract whatever undamaged data is within it?

I've seen you make this comment before. Out of interest, do you put the theory into practice and test restore all your images?

Click to expand...

After quite a few disappointing recovery attempts over the last couple years I’m using a spare duplicate 500G drive for testing and immediate use if needed. Works fine! I put the image in a folder marked GOOD for dependable roll back needs.

Confusing. Do you have a baseline backup image and 4 differential images? Does the baseline image verify?

Click to expand...

Yes

Can you mount the baseline image in another computer?

Click to expand...

Not totally sure what you mean by Mount, but I have copied it to another computer and if I tell TI10 to recover it it will always come up with the archive corrupted message. The baseline is about 75GB incedentally and the differentials are anly a couple of GB each. I suspect it is the baseline that is sick and of course it carries across to the others because they need it

Did Acronis TI ask to "Format" the partition or to "Delete" the partition? Formatting wouldn't help Acronis TI as the partition takes on the formatting of the restored image. Just doesn't make sense.

Click to expand...

It asked me to allow it to Format the partition as part of its RECOVERY process. I agree it does not make sense to offer to format as the first step of it restore process, for exactly the reasons you state. But I can assure you it did ask and I allowed it to do so. Perhaps because I was simulataneoulsy restoring 2 partitions and a boot sector when it happened.

Do you have a BartPE CD? Any partitioning software to see what partitions (if any) are on the HD?

Click to expand...

Been down that path. Acronis Disk Director. Actually allowed me to restore the offending partition however a lot of the files were missing and it would not boot. Subsequently TI formatted it again as part of another failed RECOVER operation so I am back to the offending partition being empty but formatted.

How were you Dual Booting? The Microsoft Way or The Third-Party Way?

Click to expand...

Microsoft method.

So here is now where I am at.
I am currently running the TI RECOVERY process using the corrupted TIB archive partion but using the "Restore Individual files" option and pointed it to the whole drive. So far it is 8 hours into the recovery and every few minutes it pops up with a "error reading file" message and I hit the "Ignore" button instead of cancel. This allows the process to continue and hopefully I will be left with a 99.9% of the files back. So far most have been image files and itunes songs so hopefully the system stuff will be mostly intact.

Unfortunately I have tried all above to no avail. I was actaully able to recover the boot sector and the smaller of the two XP partition images from withing the *.tib file. However the much larger 80GB partition within the same *.tib archive continaing my iTunes music library is continually reporting errors. Tried placing the *.tib files on a a second HDD on the destination PC instead of on the NAS box. No change.
So now I am tying to recover what I can by using the "restore selected files option" instead of restore image. TI reports that this will take 12hours to complete and at the end there is a good change the copy of XP in this partition still wont boot up anyway. At least if XP recovery recognises it as an install it might repair it, but I reckon my chances are poor. As the approx 80,000 files are getting recovered TI safe mode keeps reporting Error in particular files and I have to hit Ignore for it to continue, otherwise it stalls. In future updates Acronis, PLEASE consider an Ignore ALL option so I do not have to sit near my PC clicking the mouse for 12 hours.
Is there any tool that can be run over a damage *.tif file to extract whatever undamaged data is within it?

Click to expand...

I hope you have some file recovery from your "restore selected files" option. Having started it you should stick with it to the end! I presume that you are attempting this restore to its original location.
It may therefore too late to undelete the deletion that was done on the original partition. However when you have tried all else.....
My prefered method of dealing with a corrupt image is to try to it mount as a virtual drive and explore it. Once this is done data files can be selected and copied to somewhere safe.

After quite a few disappointing recovery attempts over the last couple years I’m using a spare duplicate 500G drive for testing and immediate use if needed. Works fine! I put the image in a folder marked GOOD for dependable roll back needs.

Click to expand...

I have made a simple rule to work by. Never restore an image to overwrite a current working hard drive. This I follow regardless of whether the image has been tested or verified before the restore.
This rule is followed by swapping out the current drive and replacing it with an earlier one before committing the restore. Drives in removeable drive drawers make this an easy task.

Not totally sure what you mean by Mount, but I have copied it to another computer and if I tell TI10 to recover it it will always come up with the archive corrupted message. The baseline is about 75GB incedentally and the differentials are anly a couple of GB each. I suspect it is the baseline that is sick and of course it carries across to the others because they need it

Click to expand...

In the Acronis Menu, click "Operations" then "Mount". This will create a temporary drive to view and copy files from the backup image. When done, you again click "Operations" and then "Unmount" to remove the temporary drive.

I've seen you make this comment before. Out of interest, do you put the theory into practice and test restore all your images?

Click to expand...

A famous wise old sage once said, "Do as I say, not as I do".

Logger, when you get out of this "mess", do yourself a favor and backup your music and any other data files by simply copying them in Windows Explorer to another hard drive. Music and video files are in an already compressed format so you will not gain much by using True Image to make a compressed archive.

So, at what point do you trust your full image backup to restore to the source?

Click to expand...

Answer : Never

Hard disks and disk caddies are so inexpensive that it makes absolutely no economic sense to risk messing about with a single disk.

The relative values are the same as insurance. Your house is thousands of times more valuable than the insurance premium that you pay to protect that investment. In the same way your time is much more valuable than the cost of a hard disk.

If you have ever needed to reinstall an Operating System with all its Service Packs and Security Updates ..... PLUS all the Software with all their updates and all the issues around getting the supplier to revalidate your Product Keys...... you will think that the cost of a disk must be the best value for money on this planet

This is an interesting thread (apart from the original poster having such a problem) but am I to read that the preferered methoud of backup is to:
1) backup image
2) verify to test image
3) restore to a spare drive to again test image?
Sounds insane to me & a big time waster. Time to find another backup utility if you ask me, as that's about 8 hours work, and approaching the point of having the machine down just to do backup.

Sounds insane to me & a big time waster. Time to find another backup utility if you ask me, as that's about 8 hours work,

Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. We backup 5 computers in this house with images daily. And we never do test restores. And I restore an image to overwrite a current working hard drive frequently. Every few weeks. I'm stunned that you have so little faith in your backup software.

I've seen you make this comment before. Out of interest, do you put the theory into practice and test restore all your images?

Click to expand...

Brian K

I didn't notice how DwnNdirty answered, but my answer is absolutely yes, regardless of the image program used. Only difference is I don't test restore to a spare drive, I restore my actual drive. My imaging is a three step process, Image,verify, and restore. Every image.

Now you might ask what if an image doesn't restore(has never happened to me with Acronis v9, or brand x). Just like with other security software the answer lies in layers. My second layer here is FDISR.(see leapfrog forum). I always update an off disk FDISR archive, which I update before imaging. That why should an image fail to restore, I just restore and older tested image. THen use FDISR to bring my system current. Also tested, and it works.

Note, that I don't use the secure zone or anything like it. Only image to second drive or external drives.

This principle is independent of the backup utility that you use. The backup utility is simply the tool that performs the task.

To understand this principle correctly you firstly need to differentiate between Data Backups and System/Program Backups.

DATA BACKUPS : You can perform Data Backups with almost any utility - in some situations even Copy & Paste can be more effective than a formal backup program.

SYSTEM & PROGRAM BACKUP : The System and Programs form an integrated unit - not only with each other, but more importantly with the actual physical disk. When you Restore a System Partition, the first action in the process is that the partition is prepared to accept the restore. Essentially this means that the partition is cleared out. If you Restore to source and something goes wrong with your backup then you will lose both your source and your backup.

So,the Golden Rule is to Restore your System & Programs to a spare disk; reboot with the spare; test that your critical programs are working and that the OS is working as expected.

If your system disk fails - for whatever reason, mechanical; electrical; corruped system file.... - you can be operational again within 5 minutes instead of 5 days!!

I couldn't agree more. We backup 5 computers in this house with images daily. And we never do test restores. And I restore an image to overwrite a current working hard drive frequently. Every few weeks. I'm stunned that you have so little faith in your backup software.

Click to expand...

As you can see in the post above, I do restore every image. Thats the reason I have faith. I suppose it's a time thing. I am imaging about 22gb max so total time is about 15 minutes. Compared to time of not having a good image, thats cheap.

Main thing is you are not doing restore, for reasons other than being afraid to, which what keeps many users from doing it.

Originally posted by Pete2150...
I always update an off disk FDISR archive, which I update before imaging. That why should an image fail to restore, I just restore and older tested image. THen use FDISR to bring my system current

Click to expand...

Could you please provide some additional information as to why you first restore to an older tested image and then use FD-ISR to bring your system current. Would it not achieve the same result if you simply selected a FD-ISR snapshot at boot?

I am particularly interested in your method because I have never seen FD-ISR used in that way and would like to understand the benefits.

This is an interesting thread (apart from the original poster having such a problem) but am I to read that the preferered methoud of backup is to:
1) backup image
2) verify to test image
3) restore to a spare drive to again test image?
Sounds insane to me & a big time waster. Time to find another backup utility if you ask me, as that's about 8 hours work, and approaching the point of having the machine down just to do backup.

Click to expand...

I am afraid you have missed the point, at least as far as my method of securing my hard drive is concerned.
1. My full backup images are scheduled to take place when the system would otherwise be idle. Time taken irrelevant but last time I looked 32 minutes. My time Nil.
2. Never run validations. Time taken Nil.
3. Restore to a drive which then becomes the current working drive. I recently put a stopwatch on this. Total from shut down to change over drives and reboot after the restore 13 minutes. Normally I would not spend all this 13 minutes watching the computer, I would go and grind some of my favourite coffee beans and make some proper coffee.

So your estimated 8 hours is a complete nonsense. My total down time is 13 minutes max . If and when I have a hard drive fail I can be up and running again in 3 minutes max.
If you can come up with a faster or more secure method I would be delighted to try it out but somehow I think you would have to dig pretty deep to fine one.
BTW how much time does your method take and is it 100% secure with no unnecessary duplications etc.?

Could you please provide some additional information as to why you first restore to an older tested image and then use FD-ISR to bring your system current. Would it not achieve the same result if you simply selected a FD-ISR snapshot at boot?

I am particularly interested in your method because I have never seen FD-ISR used in that way and would like to understand the benefits.

TiA

T.

Click to expand...

Hi Tabvla

I normally don't. But even though I trust my imaging software 100%, nothing is written in stone. Stuff happens, and a given image may possibly fail. With the FDISR backup, I don't worry about it. I restore the image, and if works great, if not, no matter, I just restore an earlier one, and can bring my system current. It's kind of the software equivalent of comfort food.

In case you are wondering how effective it is, I normally run XP pro but also have an image with Vista installed, so I can test if I want. As an experiment, with the vista image installed on the system, I restored the XP pro FDISR archihve, and converted it back to XP that way. Worked like a champ.